What you must know before cancelling a train ticket

Indian Railways allows cancellation of tickets from both IRCTC's online portal and offline cancellation from counters.

Many a times it happens that train tickets have to be cancelled due to change in travel plans. If it comes to that, then you must know certain rules that govern railway's ticket cancellation process. Indian Railways allows cancellation of tickets from both IRCTC's online portal and offline cancellation from counters.

Here are some important rules that you must know:

• If the ticket remains in Wait List (WL) after final chart is prepared, the ticket automatically stands cancelled in case of online booking.

• If the ticket is fully confirmed, online cancellation is permitted only up to 4 hours before the scheduled departure of the train.

• If the ticket is RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation), online cancellation is allowed only up to 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train.

• If a confirmed ticket is cancelled more than 48 hrs before the scheduled departure of the train, flat cancellation charges shall be deducted @ Rs.240/- for AC First Class/Executive Class, Rs.200/- for AC 2 Tier/First Class, Rs. 180 for AC 3 Tier/AC Chair car/ AC 3 Economy, Rs.120/- for Sleeper Class and Rs.60/- for Second Class. Cancellation charges are per passenger.

• If a confirmed ticket is cancelled within 48 hrs and up to 12 hours before the scheduled departure of the train, cancellation charges shall be 25% of the fare subject to the minimum flat rate mentioned in the above clause.

• Less than 12 hours and upto four hours before the scheduled departure of the train up to chart preparation which is earlier, 50% of the fare paid subject to the minimum cancellation charges.

• E-ticket cannot be cancelled after chart preparation. Users are requested to use the online TDR filing for such cases and track Status of the refund case through tracking service provided by IRCTC.

• No refund of fare shall be admissible on the tickets having confirmed reservation in case the ticket is not cancelled or TDR not filed online upto four hours before the scheduled departure of the train.

• No refund of fare shall be admissible on RAC e-tickets is case the ticket is not cancelled or TDR not filed online upto thirty minutes before the scheduled departure of the train.